Two things stand out about this show: that's it's a top show, even from one of the top-five-best-years; and that it was discussed locally for over a decade. Red Rocks became a legendary venue for the Dead, and they played it 20 times (two more were moved for weather). Inevitably you'd be there bitd talking with some dudes about previous Red Rocks shows, and which were great tapes, when some older dude would lament that you hadn't been at Boulder '72.
"THAT was the show brah!" They played two good shows at CU football stadium in '80 but it was '72 that made these cats nod and zone wistfully.
Given the crap quality of the tapes generally available it was always hard to discern the music was really there for this one but the stories certainly were (see below about the crew slinging baggie kits into the crowd - replete with papers and matches - and other legends that, it turns out, were all true). Believe it or not, after the band went on, they left the stage for the last time 6 hours later.
In '67 they had played two nights at a small club in Denver and a free show the next day at City Park. And the Miller Ballroom at CU in '69 was followed by a small show in Co Springs out by the Academy. But the first they really gained notice in the market was after two shows in '70 at Mammoth Garden (currently the Fillmore). This created a vacuum of interest for their return to the area in '72 for a show that became a cultural flashpoint for the region the same way The Clash at Red Rocks in '82 would for the following generation. I once heard it compared to Beatles-on-Sullivan. By all accounts the crowd was unusually mindmelded and animated and the band reacted. There seems to have been an unusual amount of transcendent experiences in unison. Colorado became one of the band's most faithful markets because of this show and they would return to Colorado 41 times.
You know '72 was a hot year but, for comparison purposes, this is the show after Veneta (and the same month as Baltimore/DP23 and, possibly the best show ever, the Stanley Theater). The quality harkens to the golden age of blanks and postage (
i.e. muddy as shit in places) and requires a certain candidate, but the show is money. (Wine women & song = sex drugs & r'n'r = blanks and postage = snail mail and magnetic tape to you lawn-disrespecting kiddies). If it were available in complete SBD it would be preferred to Veneta, but as it is it appeals to applicants. That said, three from the middle set are in perfect qual on
Dick's 36.
1st Set. The show starts strong and even with poor sound you can hear it only gets better. By the time you get to
BioDtL-6 (at least I think it's six - what say you?) these are versions for the ages.
Half-step Mississippi is played for the 8th time and is the best one so far (the sound is much improved by this point).
Playin' is freaking perfect - even with Donnascreech™.
Casey Jones is the only average thing in the set.
2nd Set. The sound weirdness is over but, oops - the set starts shaky with
Bertha missing vox and the band falling apart. Bobby has monitor issues for his
El Paso and goes off key. Shit gets fixed and they start warming up again, sending
China>Rider into outrageousness.
Truckin' has excellent fills. That's the secret to the song - plus the end jam, and Bobby remembering the lyrics. It's a stand-alone but when they start
Loser a broken string makes it careen. The next three songs are on
DP #36, probably to make a sandwich out of the incredible
Other One, with it's intense-jazz jam. '72 wasn't the best year for
Wharf Rat so this one's easily above-average. There's a
Johnny B Goode encore and then...
Third Set. Bobby actually announces their intention to play a set. With a post-rain
Cold Rain & Snow, it's average stuff until they hit fire
again!
Deal and
Jack Straw both smoke and, I dunno, but they could really hit the harmonies some shows. It's weird that they played
Rockin' Pneumonia a few times in '72. I was thinking they got it from Johnny River's chart hit but that wasn't until a few months later, so they must have known the '57 version. This is the 3rd of 4 (two were in London and Milwaukee's is a total boogie-down). The rest is A+ material.
Not Fade has unique tones and approaches - particularly from Jer. The man was inspired.
Goin' Down the Road may be my favorite version ever. My jaw drops and I'm wearing a BandAid around the 5-minute mark (too bad quality drops down again). It's a dead-drop back into
NFA. The machine is vibrating its cosmic uplink. You can tell that
1-more Saturday Night kills but there are no clear copies in circ.
1st Set: A+
2nd Set: B-
3rd Set: A
Overall = 5 Stars
Highlights:
Me & My Uncle - always good in '72
Tennessee Jed - airy heights
Bird Song - great performance, bad copies
BioDtl-6 - maybe 72's best
Half-step Mississippi - 72's best
I Know You Rider - outrageous finish to a China Cat
Truckin' - this is how it's supposed to be played
The Other One - The whole sandwich is good but this is a remarkable jam
Johnny B Goode - They smoke this one
Deal - Jer on a roll
Jack Straw - vox nailed
NFA>GDtRFB>NFA - Unique tones, no better Goin' Down the Road
One More Saturday - played great, recorded bad
SOURCES: This is a composite of the best sources available for the individual songs, compiling AUDs and SBDs for the first time and at the correct speed. As such, the awesome effort has created one-stop listening. Maybe some day better stuff will emerge. The show is deserving.